1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to archery bow stabilizers, and more particularly, to a device that is attached to an archery bow to reduce shock and vibration of the bow when an arrow is shot.
2. Description of the Prior Art
When an archer shoots an arrow from a bow, there is a tendency of the bow to vibrate after the arrow has been shot. To decrease the vibrational effects of the bow, archery bow stabilizers have been devised to attach to the bow to add weight thereto, and thus provide more inertia to be overcome when the arrow is shot.
For example, the following prior art U.S. patents disclose stabilizers for archery bows are known: U.S. Pat. No. 3,524,441 of Jeffery; U.S. Pat. No. 3,589,350 of Hoyt et at; U.S. Pat. No. 3,628,520 of Izuta; U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,883 of Izuta; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,612 of Finlay.
More specifically, Jeffery discloses an archery bow stabilizer that includes a plurality of interchangeable weighted heads and rods. Hoyt et al disclose an archery bow stabilizer that includes a weighting element and an elongated telescopically adjustable support for supporting the weighting element in selective spaced relationship with a bow. In the first Izuta patent, Izuta discloses an archery bow stabilizer that includes an elongated rod member having a weighting element at one end and a number of resilient members each constructed in the form of a plurality of radially extending resilient elements. In the second Izuta patent, Izuta discloses an archery bow stabilizer that includes a plurality of permanent magnets which absorb vibration or shock by attraction or repulsion of the permanent magnets. Finlay discloses an archery bow stabilizer that emits a scent as the stabilizer is used.
Intended purposes of the above-mentioned archery bow stabilizers are to reduce torque and to damp vibrations of the bow once the arrow is shot. Yet in all of the archery bow stabilizers discussed above, all-solid weights are used to reduce torque or absorb or damp vibrations. One problem with all-solid damping devices is their inherent resilience. Such is the nature of solid materials. Some solid materials have more or less resilience than others, but the inherent resilience of solid materials is an obstacle to a more efficient damping action in an archery bow stabilizer. Thus, it would be desirable if an archery bow stabilizer were provided that avoided the inherent resiliency of an all-solid archen/bow stabilizer.
Yet, solids are generally very dense, and their density provides good torque-absorbing and good vibration damping properties. Thus, it would be desirable if an archery bow stabilizer were provided that both avoided the inherent resiliency of an all-solid stabilizer but still retained a solid stabilizer portion that took advantage of the high density of solid torque-absorbing and vibration-damping solid elements.
Vibrations that occur in a bow once an arrow is shot can be in a wide range of frequencies, from low to high frequencies. It would be desirable if an archery bow stabilizer were provided that provided bow stabilization over a wide range of vibrational frequencies.
Bows, arrows, and bow strings are made in a wide variety of sizes and weights. In this respect, it would be desirable if an archery bow stabilizer were provided that had an adjustable tension to adjust for the variety of bows, arrows, and bow strings.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use archery bow stabilizers having all-solid weights, the provision of a more simple and cost effective device that avoided the inherent resiliency of an all-solid archery bow stabilizer is not shown in the prior art. Also, the prior art does not provide an archery bow stabilizer that both avoided the inherent resiliency of an all-solid stabilizer but still retained a solid stabilizer portion that took advantage of the high density of solid damping elements. The prior art does not provide an archery bow stabilizer that provides bow stabilization over a wide range of vibrational frequencies. In addition, the prior art does not provide an archery bow stabilizer that both avoids the inherent resiliency of an all-solid stabilizer but still retains a solid stabilizer portion that takes advantage of the high density of solid torque-absorbing and vibration-damping solid elements. The prior art does not provide an archery bow stabilizer that has an adjustable tension to adjust for the variety of bows, arrows, and bow strings. The foregoing disadvantages are overcome by the unique archery bow stabilizer apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.